Colonial Cafeteria baseball team

In February, the Messenger ran a photo from the St. Albans Museum of the Colonial Cafeteria baseball team bus as it stood outside the cafeteria on North Main Street. Since then the museum has received a wonderful photograph of one of the players on that team. In this photo from Jacqueline LaFountain, you see her dad, Archibald Lane Hope, who was one of the players on that team. Many thanks to Jacqueline for sharing it with the museum and you, the readers.

As happy as Archie looks in this photo, there is tragedy in his future. On April 23, 1945 he and his family were boating on Lake Champlain, and their boat capsized. Both Archie and his son Robert were lost due to the weight of their clothes and boots. His wife, then pregnant with Jacqueline, was able to hold her son’s hand but lost it in the struggle to get to shore. A very sad story to relate.

The museum still has little information about the Colonials, but would like to learn more should a reader have additional information or photographs. The museum also would very much like to have a Colonials uniform! Last year they received a Mohawks uniform and are now looking for a cap to put on display with it this year, if anyone has one.

If you have any additional photographs or information about the Colonial Grill or the Colonial baseball team, of which we know very little, please call the St. Albans Museum at 527-7933 or contact them via stamuseum.org.